The first United Airlines 737 MAX 10 has been spotted in Seattle, though delivery is still about a year away and could be complicated by regulatory challenges. Still, United intends a premium sub fleet of this aircraft with lie-flat seating in business class that will eventually replace the aging fleet of 757-200 planes currently operating on transcontinental and select European routes.
United Airlines 737 MAX 10 – What We Know So Far
Boeing has over 700 orders for the 737 MAX 10, but United Airlines is first in line. The Chicago-based carrier has ordered over 200 aircraft. This week, the first aircraft (registration N27753) bearing United’s blue livery was spotted at Boeing Field in Seattle.
Boeing faces a regulatory hurdle thanks to the 2020 Aircraft Safety and Certification Reform Act. Although Boeing is currently under a two-year enforcement waiver, that is set to expire later this year and if not renewed or approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) before the waiver deadline (which is unlikely), Boeing will have to upgrade the flight deck to add new safety features.
Boeing CEO David Calhoun has warned:
“If I lose the fight to avoid upgrading the flight deck, I lose the fight, and the MAX 10 would not be developed.”
I tend to think that is a bluff, but scrapping the 737 MAX 10 program could deal a fatal blow to United Next, am ambitious plans to grow United Airlines’ fleet rapidly over the next five years.
What Will The United 737 MAX 10 Look Like Onboard?
The first 737 MAX 10 will be a premium service aircraft, currently targeted for a July 2023 delivery. Ultimately, United has ordered 50 in a premium configuration (up from the original order of 34) and 182 in a domestic configuration. The domestic configuration deliveries will begin in July 2024.
The move signals that the 737 MAX 10 will replace the 757-200 fleet and be used for domestic flights, including transcontinental and Hawaiian service.
A leaked LOPA (layout of passenger accommodations) suggests the aircraft will feature 22 lie-flat herringbone-style seats in business class. Patrick Quayle, United’s Senior Vice President, Global Network Planning and Alliances, has confirmed the aircraft will have lie-flat seating that will vary from the current Polaris business class seat.
Meanwhile, United plans to use the Airbus A321XLR for international service.
CONCLUSION
The first United Airlines 737 MAX 10 is out of the paint shop, but regulatory hurdles mean delivery is still many months (or years) away. United will take delivery of premium-heavy MAX 10s first, with the goal of replacing its aging 757-200 fleet. Absent the dire warning from the Boeing CEO, United’s fleet of narrowbody aircraft will grow much younger and fuel-efficient in the years ahead and passengers can look forward to modern cabins with seatback screens in all cabins.
No PP with the Max 10?
So if I am understanding this correctly, the MAX 10 will be on some Hawaii routes (such as Denver to Kona/Lihue) and maybe premium transcontinental? But it won’t have direct aisle access business class seats; only the 321XLR will?
Also, United filed some schedule changes over the weekend, specifically with Australia. LAX-MEL and IAH-SYD were previously on the schedule starting Oct 28 daily, but now they are only 3x weekly. LAX-MEL goes to daily in Dec and IAH-SYD goes to daily in Jan. Is it fair to assume with these changes made they are resuming these routes in Nov? Otherwise don’t see why they would reduce to 3x weekly if they aren’t resuming them at all.
Are we sure the first MAX 10s to roll out are going lie-flat? The 1st fully painted MAX 10 has the exact same window alignment (as in same amount of windows between the door and the mid-lav), which leads me to believe it will feature the standard 20 seat domestic first cabin, UNLESS the new cabin plans on having a similar footprint, which in case then I’d be both wrong and amazed.
I’m told premium first. We shall see.
Itrip report!!! Omg it is you!! I’m a big big fan of yours!! Keep up the excellent work!! I loved your last UA max9 review, spot on!! Try making more of those. Oh and btw, Matthew could learn a thioridazine two from you, show him how it’s done.
Ooops, a thing or two, I hate autocorrect, sorry Emiliano!! Lol
I hate this plane as I find it noisy and uncomfortable. Even in business class this plane is cramped and the bathrooms are tiny. I can only get into them if I hunch over and I am unable to turn around (I am not wide, just tall at 6’4″). If this is what United has to offer for any flight over 3 hours I will fly another airline. Awful plane.
Amazing that you hate this plane with a layout that isn’t even flying yet.
Doesn’t matter the layout. The plane is the same. Small bathrooms, same fuselage, same crap 737. United will definitely lose some business passengers. 737 doesn’t compare to the 757s. United should invest in more A321s instead of the crap 737s.
No link to the LOPA?
Just another result of the brain-dead Boeing executive office decision to even do the 737 Max. The “aging” 757, a 40 year old design, meets the new cockpit display requirements. Boeing has known about this issue for decades. Rather than cancel the Max 10, Boeing should cancel their CEO and all the sycophants that report to him.
I don’t disagree with what you are saying, however with at least 700 orders for the MAX10 alone there is no way Boeing cancels the MAX10 program.
United Airlines alone has 250 firm orders for this thing!!
The Max is not a substitute for. 757. The Max is an overstretched piece of garbage. They keep flying the 757 for simple reasons: love, hot, and high. Passengers love the plane. Pilots love it. And the hot and high performance is unparalleled. The 757 was from an engineers ran Boeing, not the clueless McDonnell Douglas alumni (and their clones) that brought us the Max, and dare I say, the SLS.
It’s a shame the 757 is leaving UAs fleet. The ‘Hot Rod’ of the skies is being replaced by a 737 ‘MaxTURD’
Let’s not forget there are actual pilots and people who have knowledge that this max planes is a flawed design and not actually safe. It’s about money and it doesn’t feel safe check out what these people have to say. Look it up.
Ks… current airline Captain here who flies the MAX8 (only version out at the moment). While the idea that the design may be “flawed” in that it’s a modification of an old design that further extends the life pf the 737 (when some suggest Boeing should have started over), it’s certainly not “unsafe”.
Max 8 might be the only version flying at your carrier……but United has been flying the Max 8 and Max 9 for a few years now. 36 Max 9’s currently on property and 25 more on the way……
Let’s keep flying the friendly skys , BOEING has come a long way improving its airplanes, The MAX is a nice piece of Aerospace Technology. Haters will always be haters .
The hate of an airplane that many people that have flown it actually like. Because they actually have flown in it. The lavatory size is what the Airline chose.
Whatever happened to the 737-900ER?